For Parents & Families

Because most children with disabilities in the developing world have no access to formal education, parents and families are critically important to their learning and development. The information in this section helps families understand the needs of their children with blindness, visual impairment, or deafblindness. Included are activities, strategies, and advice for encouraging their development and mobility.

Below are the topics you'll find in this section. Click on a title to jump to a specific topic.

Activities to Foster Development 

Activities for the Young Baby (Birth to 6 Months)
Hesperian Foundation
Chapter 5 of this downloadable text, Helping Children Who Are Blind, (""Activities for the Young Baby") focuses on helping babies to trust people and their surroundings, respond to sounds, and develop motor skills. Numerous line drawings; in English and Spanish.

Developing Organisational Skills in Children - Some Tips
Eyeway.org (India)
Suggestions for helping children develop the organizational skills necessary for success, both at school and in later life.

Early Stimulation and Development Activities
Hesperian Foundation
"Early Stimulation and Development Activities" is Chapter 35 of David Werner’s book, Disabled Village Children, and focuses on ways to stimulate the development of young children. Clear line drawings illustrate each point; in English and  Spanish

Helping My Child
Sense International (India)
Suggestions for increasing a child's independence in self-care and the activities of daily life. (PDF file)

Learning Through Doing
Blind People’s Association (India)
Skill-building activities in every developmental area for children with visual impairments and additional disabilities. (PDF file)

Parents as Main Facilitators of Their Children’s Early Intervention Process
International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
A Peruvian mother who is blind, tells of specific activities and techniques that aided her son with retinoblastoma; color photographs included. (PDF file)

Playing with My Child
Sense International (India)
Ideas for encouraging play with children who are deafblind; a list of the characteristics of a good toy. (PDF file)

Promoting the Development of Young Children with Cerebral Palsy
World Health Organization (WHO)
Addresses early detection, assessment, mobility, self-help, and communication; includes a short section on children with CP and visual impairments. PDF version (illustrated; not accessible to screen readers).

Role of Parents
Eyeway.org
Important contributions parents can make in the early development of a child with visual impairments.

Sensory Integration
Sense International (India)
An introduction to sensory integration disorders, including suggested activities, information for parents, and a screening checklist. (PDF file)

Toys and the Act of Playing as Strategies of Integration of Visually Impaired Children
International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
The importance of toys and play in the development of children with visual impairment, and the need for family-school collaboration.

Toys You Can Make
Hesperian Foundation
Scroll down to Appendix B, "Toys You Can Make." This section from  Helping Children Who Are Blind includes ideas for making toys that encourage development; in English and Spanish.

Advocating for Educational Rights 

A Parent’s View on the Equality in Education in the Philippines for a Child with Multiple-Disabilities and Visual Impairment
International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
The author’s son has a visual impairment and additional disabilities, and she had difficulty finding services in the Philippines. She shares her experiences and recommendations with other parents. (PDF file)

Community Organization 

Family Action for Inclusion in Education
Enabling Education Network
A 122-page guide for family members searching for a support group or advocacy organization. Includes the inspirational stories of seven such organizations in southern Africa, South Asia, Europe and Australia. (PDF file)

Parents’ Role in CBR, Source
This chapter from CBR: A Participatory Strategy in Africa features the Uganda Deaf/Blind Parents Association, and shows the importance of parents in community-based rehabilitation. (PDF file)

Starting Village-Based Rehabilitation Activities
Hesperian Foundation
"Starting Village-Based Rehabilitation Activities" is chapter 45 of David Werner’s book,  Disabled Village Children, which describes two models of rehabilitation and offers suggestions to help community members organize themselves; in English and  Spanish .

Training in the Community for People with Disabilities
World Health Organization (WHO)
A planning and training guide for community-based rehabilitation. The material aimed at family members has information about rehabilitation procedures that will maximize independence.

Daily Living Skills 

Disclosing the Action: Activities of Daily Living and the Blind Child
International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Activities of daily living, focusing on hand washing and the importance of introducing  objects involved in the activity.

Self-Care
Eyeway.org (India)
Advice for parents in teaching self-care skills, such as hygiene, grooming, selection of clothing, eating, and managing money.

Orientation and Mobility 

Orientation and Mobility
The League of Friends of the Blind (South Africa)
This introduction to Orientation and Mobility is written for families and friends of people who are blind.

Orientation and Mobility for Deafblind People
Sense International (India)
An overview of orientation and mobility, including information for parents, a description of the role of the instructor, and a skills checklist.

Understanding Needs of Adults Who are Blind 

Visual Impairment Handbook
Blind People’s Association (India)
This 479-page handbook is a comprehensive guide to visual impairment: causes, prevention, orientation and mobility, activities of daily living, braille, assistive devices, education, employment, community-based rehabilitation, and more.

Understanding Needs of Children Who Are Blind 

Helping Children Who Are Blind
Hesperian Foundation
This online book for parents and teachers is full of information about vision, development, learning activities, communication, safety, movement, and much more; in English and Spanish. 

Signs of Visual Impairments
Eyeway.org
A checklist to help parents and others determine whether or not a child may have a visual impairment.

Training Package for a Family Member of a Child who has Difficulty Seeing
World Health Organization (WHO)
This 48-page training package helps community rehabilitation workers and families  understand low vision. Explains intervention strategies, mobility, and independent living skills; in English and French.
PDF version (illustrated; not accessible to screen readers)

Understanding Needs of Children who are Deafblind 

About Deafblindness
Sense International (India)
Frequently asked questions about deafblindness.

Causes and Syndromes Leading to Deafblindness
Sense International (India)
This 10-page booklet describes diseases, syndromes, and genetic conditions that cause deafblindness; information for teachers about affected students’ prognoses, vision, hearing, and overall health.

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